Court Sentences Ex-Fidelity Bank Staff Christopher Jackson Edeh for N2.7bn Fraud

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A former employee of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr Christopher Jackson Edeh, has been sentenced for a N2.7 billion fraud.

The former banker was sent to prison by Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, October 27 2026.

He is to be behind bars for about five years after being found guilty of the charges levelled against him by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr Edeh was arraigned on February 28, 2024, by the anti-money laundering organisation on nine counts bordering on fraudulent accounting and unauthorised access to a computer system.

He was accused of altering the bank account details of several customers and government-related entities, including the Kano State Government Power Intervention Fund, NNPC Trading Limited, Stallion Vision Ltd, the Lagos State Government Blue Line, the State Contributory Pension Account and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, with intent to defraud.

During the trial, prosecuting counsel, Z.B. Atiku, called three witnesses and tendered several documents in evidence to establish the case against the defendant. The defence, on its part, called one witness.

In her judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and consequently convicted Mr Edeh on the nine counts.

The court sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine on each of counts one to seven, bordering on fraudulent false accounting, and two years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine on each of counts eight and nine, relating to unauthorised access to a computer system with intent to facilitate the commission of crimes, all to run concurrently.